


At Night

by icedteainthebag



Category: The X-Files
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-10
Updated: 2015-09-10
Packaged: 2018-04-20 02:05:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 441
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4769477
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/icedteainthebag/pseuds/icedteainthebag
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A night visitor.</p>
            </blockquote>





	At Night

**Author's Note:**

> Imported from Gossamer; originally published Nov. 10, 1999. Mulder and Scully belong to Chris Carter, 1013, Fox, etc. This is dedicated to Jade because she challenged me to write a G-rated fic. You said I couldn't do it! Ha, ha!

He came to her at night, a shadowy silhouette against streetlighted windows, a rousing realization from fogged dreams incomplete. She, a light sleeper, had heard the key in the lock,the turn of the deadbolt a telltale click through the near-silent humming of kitchen appliances. She awaited the first sense of his presence in the room with eyes still closed, wanting to feel before she could see.

He came to her at night. Not often, not in want but in need. Not in desire, but in weakness--his spirit broken, mind tired of an endless stream of dire thoughts. He sought safety. Warmth. Contentment. He found them by her side, in the dark. Words were never spoken, no sound heard save soft breathing and shifting of bodies and bedsheets.

She would open her eyes after he entered the room, watching him approach the bedside. In the soft haze of the darkness she would follow his slow, deliberate removal of jacket and clothing until he  
was wearing nothing but a t-shirt and boxers, what they were both comfortable with. He would let them fall to the floor haphazardly and stand up straight, watching her, and she would close her eyes  
again. The soft wisp of cloth sliding across her body made her shiver as he pulled the sheets up. The bed would settle lightly as he lay down beside her. Cool air entrapped beneath the covers surrounded her as he slid his legs against the bed to warm them.

She would turn away then, onto her side, but not to ignore him. Rather, it was part of a ritual, part of the reason why he kept coming back to be with her there.

He would turn on his side, facing her back, and pull her snugly against him. Their bodies fit perfectly together, the coolness of his limbs sending temporary chills throughout her body. He would hold her closer then. Soft breath in her ear, heavy arms across her torso. She was at home in his embrace.

They would both stay awake without a word for several minutes. Sometimes five, ten, even an hour. Breathing in scents, sharing warmth, feeling heartbeats. It was a time when discrepancies were trivial, when logic and faith could mend their differences, when they weren't only partners or friends but integral pieces of each other's existence. It was understood to be this way, at least at night, when no one could see them and the bright, piercing light of day would never expose their vulnerabilities.

He came to her at night. He came to rest. For Fox Mulder, it was the only time he slept in peace.


End file.
